The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-06-17
pEKpETUAL.MoTIoN cKANKs.
Men who spend Their Lives ana
Money i'm a Hopeless Enort.

Oo you hhFS In'1hy peIpeLual-motIon
cranks nowadaysP'' asked Star report
er of a prominent patent attorney at
Wizards hotel last night ''Not many
was the reply. II have had only one
or two in my experience, One Of them
was very singular case. 1t happened
quite a while ago. One day, while
was sitting at one of my spare desks ex-
amining patent case, the door opened
and in walked three men in Indian file.
They were queer-looking fellows. The
first was a tall, gaunt gray bearded
and gray-haired man, dressed in old
fashioned black clothes, covered by a
long linen duster. The second was
short, fat, chunky fellow, a country
man, apparently, and neighbor of the
old fellow. The third man evil
IDENTIFY belonged in the city. Pro badly
he picked the other up, or happened to
know what they were after, and so
brought them to me. Well, when they
got inside the door the old fellow stalk
ed over in military fashion in my direc-
ton. When he got directly opposite me
he turned right about and, walking up
to my desk, drew long and large roll
of paper from under his arm He hand
ed it to me, saying: Well, sir, what
do you think of that?" took the roll,
opened it. and after looking over its
contents for few minutes, during
which the old fellow stood as silent as
the grave, l said: 1t appears to me to
be a perpetual motion device That's
just what it is, sir. That's just VIII at it
is. knew you would see it in min
ute, said the old man with a grin.
The old man then looked around to
where my draughtsman was sitting, an
interested spectator of the scene. He
motioned silently with one hand to my
private office, acting as if he wanted
to speak of things he did not wish
overheard. Well, into my Office the
three walked. When they got inside
the short man closed the door and then
stood against it so that the draughts-
man could not get in. The old gentle
man then asked me what / could do
for him. inquired'of him in reply if
ne had model of his invention. He
drew out of one his pockets three
combs with convalutes on them.
took them in my hand for a moment,
and then told the old gentleman
frankly / could not get him patent
for perpetual motion. The thing, as
you know, is chestnut, and unless we
could make some practical demonstra-
ton of the invention in the patent
Office the examiners there would throw
it out and laugh at me for my pains.
But the old gentleman persisted that
he wanted it patented, even though
told him time and again that it was ut
terly useless; that there never had been
and never could be such device in
vented. However, saw that the me
chanical principle involved in a part Of
the thing was radical and totally new,
and thought that might get him a
patent for that told him So He
wouldn't hear of it at first, but finally,
after his companions had pursuaded
him that it would be best to letme pro-
tect him in that respect, and that he
could hereafter obtain patent on the
rest, the old fellow consented.
"He then asked me what was my
fee. / told him that S5 was all / ask
ed to make preliminary examination
to see whether tbs thing had not al
ready been patented, But he wasn't
satisfied with this He wanted me to
apply for the patent anyhow, and so
told him that ! would require $50 S15
for the patent Office fee and SS5 for my
self--to start the thing. He never said
word, but, putting his hand into an
inside pocket, he pulled out an old
leather pouch stuffed full Of money.
He took $50 bill out and handed it
to me- 1t was then Saturday, and the
old man told me that he was going
back to Arkansas, and that, as he had
about eighty miles Of staging to do aft
er he left the railroad he couldn't pos
sibly get to his home before the fol-
lowing Wednesday or Thursday. Now,
although had taken the fee Of $50
from the old man had no intention Of
hurrying the matter up. because |
thought he was crazy, and therefore
thought that the bare fact Of his know
ing that the invention was then on its
/. way through the patent Office would